Of Beasts and Men
by Your Neighbour Totoro
Summary: What is the difference between man and beast? Man will bribe, steal, betray and murder only to achieve their justice. Their retribution. So, are the two really so different? A wise man once said that within mankind are the true beasts, to be feared above all. A statement not so far from the truth. But, whoever that wise man was, probably never met us.
1. Prologue

Yo, this is the start of a concept i've been thinking of for a while now. The fic will be set in one piece world, in one piece terms so (no chakra etc.).

Thanks for giving it a go and enjoy :)

* * *

Sabody Archipelago

The doors rattled open to the dusty bar and inside, murmurs of hushed chatter died briefly as its occupants gazed upon the newcomer. The figure seemed to continue forward unperturbed and noise once again returned to the room after a brief moment. The old man behind the bar she had been talking to quickly darted his eyes to the customer before looking back down at the glass he was shining.

"Anyway, the Marines are getting restless, I think anyway." He continued, with a slight shrug of his shoulders.

Nami did not respond, absentmindedly mixing her coffee with her spoon, watching as the black liquid churned in the cup.

"Ossan, some sake please." A voice said, as a man climbed onto the barstool to Nami's right, not bothering to address her or anyone else in the bar besides the barkeep.

The old man went about the request silently, taking the moment to steal another cautious glance at the man.

Can never be too careful, she supposed. With all the rookie pirates running loose you never know who might come strolling through your door.

With a tap the bartender placed a small bottle of sake and cup on the bar top and turned his attention back to Nami, "You better be careful though lass, some dangerous types running about these days." He said as he slung a rag over his should and wiped his hands on his breeches before he leant on the bar with one hand and drew closer, "I here Strawhat Luffy is recruiting new crewmembers too." He murmured, shaking his head.

Nami's eyebrow rose instinctively, "Is that so?" the words left her mouth without thought and in the corner of her eye she noticed the man's head sat next to her turn slightly in their direction.

"Aye, it is. Exciting times to be a pirate, but not a humble barkeep." The old man laughed without mirth at his quip, once again shaking his head.

The humour was lost on her but she smiled out of politeness, taking a tentative drink from her coffee.

It tasted like earth.

"Oi, onna. You've been sat there by yourself for a long time, why don't you come join us?" A deep scratchy voice from behind her catcalled. The bar quietened and nervous eyes flickered to the orange-haired girl.

Nami let a breath escape her lips and took another sip from her drink.

It still tasted like earth.

"OI, you not hear me? You deaf? Huh?" The voice hollered again and the barkeep turned his worried frown to her.

"Ojou-san, you better respond. That's Monkey D. Luffy and the strawhats over there!" he hurried worriedly, "he has a 400 million beri bounty on his head."

Nami sighed wistfully. Why did she feel so old all of a sudden? Hell she was only 20 years old. She should be out shopping and getting drunk with friends. But no, she was in a dingy bar being catcalled by some wannabe pirate. God damn Luffy.

"I'm waiting for someone, so I'm fine just here," She said, not bothering to address the scratchy voice.

"Eh?" The man exclaimed, "Do you know who I am, onna?"

I wonder if Zoro will challenge me in another drinking competition, she absentmindedly thought to herself, remembering that had they left off tied at 5 apiece.

"I am the famous Monkey D. Luffy! Son of revolutionary Monkey D. Dragon!"

But that damn drunk had probably spent more time sleeping and drinking than training she assumed, taking another drink from her coffee. She herself was also a bit out of practice.

"Oi oi oi, you better listen to Captain Luffy, onna." A nasally female voice sounded and Nami felt the urge to itch her ears, "He doesn't take kindly to those who don't listen."

Footsteps tapped against the wooden floorboards and a hand placed itself on her shoulder. Nami turned to see a lookalike so offensive she almost dropped the lady right there and then. Her bleached orange tresses fell matted around a large oval head and big, muddy brown eyes stared at the navigator with attempted menace.

The ugly Nami cackled loudly and waved her pistol loosely next to Nami's head, "So, why don't you do the smart thing and come join the Captain for a drink, ne?" She drawled as a breeze of nasty, alcohol infused breath twitched Nami's nose.

"As I said, I'm waiting for someone." Nami really could not be bothered for this, it was too early.

"Oi you think Captain'll care? You better listen to what we say, onna, or you might lose your life before you know it!" The ugly Nami near-shouted as the misfit strawhats broke out into fits of laughter.

Suddenly, a loud bang silenced the bar as the man sat next to her slammed his cup down onto the table. Curiously, she looked as his hooded head turned slightly, revealing a single, blood red eye with a vertically slit pupil which seemed to bore into the whole room.

"Shut-up, ya damn stinky orange!"

* * *

Today was not a good day. Not only had his crew forgotten him on this god-forsaken island, but he also had a hangover from hell. Massaging his temples he walked slowly down a street of Sabody Archipelago.

"Probably that god damn beetle." He grumbled to himself, earning some worried glances from the rest of the street's occupants.

Naruto and his crew had been camped at the final paradise for a couple of days after a hazardous and round-about journey. As it turned out their self-proclaimed navigator was not so much of a navigator. Rather than relying on fact, geographical knowledge and equipment, she seemed to prefer a more risk approach to navigation. What she called chance and the rest of his crew called 'guess-work'.

He supposed it didn't matter, since they always seemed to end up in the right place eventually. But now, they had left. Without him. What sort of captain has a crew that forgets to check if he's on board!

His temples throbbed again and he winced, placing a hand on his forehead. Stressing really wasn't helping with this hangover.

"Well I guess there's only one thing I can do." He sighed, once again murmuring to himself, "Drink! Nothing cures a hangover like a drink!" Naruto laughed at the ingenuity of his sensei's sage-like advice as the people surrounding him edged away carefully.

Taking a quick look around him, he spotted an unassuming bar and made a beeline straight for it.

Pushing the doors open non-too carefully, he was hit by the stench of old oak, alcohol and blood.  
Ah, smells like home, he thought himself, smiling with his head dipped as he walked towards the bar.

"Ossan, some sake please." He said as he pulled himself onto a barstool, taking note of the orange haired lady next to him and the rowdy misfit group of pirates drinking noisily in the corner.

After a short moment the bartender placed a small bottle of sake on the bar with a cup and he poured himself a drink. The old man resumed chatting amicably the girl sat next to him and he brought the drink to his lips.

Sweet release. Even if it was some hard, sub-par booze. It still did the trick. The alcohol warmed his belly and he could feel his aches and pains from the night before easing.

But man, those pirates in the corner were being really loud. Where'd they get off on being this noisy at this time of the day? Fuckin' hooligans.

Naruto took another drink of sake and tried to ignore the loud chatter in the room. The soothing effect of the alcohol seemed to be fighting against the noisy chatter. His aching head lay finely in the balance. Noise or alcohol, which would win? Could he drown the noise out and sooth his hangover or would the ruckus win and add oil to the burning flame that was his migraine.

He noticed now that the pirates were catcalling the girl sat next to him. Loudly hollering from across the room in an attempt to get her to drink with them.

Just drink, he told himself, don't let them win. He raised the cup to his lips again. Ah, much better.

He closed his eyes and a faint smile graced his lips. He could do this. He was winning. This stinking hangover was getting a beating at the hands of his old friend sake and there was nothing it could do about it.

This must be what serenity feels like, Naruto thought to himself. To be at peace, even in the face of chaos. Yes. He could hear it, the gentle sound of waves lapping against the shore and… a nasally, whining voice?

He frowned, eyes still closed. It sounded like an old man with a hoarse cold speaking while holding his nose. And it just, kept, going.

He was losing it. The peace. The serenity. It was slipping away.

A sudden chorus of rattling, boisterous laughter sounded and he flinched. His head throbbed painfully and the alcohol settled to a dull buzz that just added to his pain.

He snapped. Slamming his cup down on the table, adding a little haki for extra effect he turned his head slightly, noting another orange haired lady who looked like a beaten, sorry excuse for the pretty one sat at the bar.

"Shut up, ya damn stinkin' orange!" He drawled as silence overcame the bar.

The orange in question looked shocked and visibly recoiled at his words. Seemingly struggling to come up with a response.

"Oi ossan, do you know who-" She began.

He was having none of it.

"I don't care who you and your pals are!" He near shouted, interrupting her, "You're too noisy, and I've got a hangover than could knock out the Sea Devil himself." He paused wincing as his head throbbed, "And don't call me ossan! I'm younger than you ya damn mouldy tangerine."

"How dare you! I'm-"

"Oi oi oi, what did I just say? Zip it clementine." Now she looked angry, not that he cared. Taking another drink from his cup he noticed the bemused grin on the pretty orange's face and offered her a mischievous grin of his own, "Sorry for the noise." He said and she chuckled shaking her head.

"It's fine, I've had hangovers just as bad." She replied.

He let out a short laugh and raised his cup again, "You must have a deathwish, disrespecting my crew right in front of me." A voice shouted from behind the girl before he could respond.

"What?" He said, eyes dragging to the barrel shaped figure now standing confidently, pistol in hand.

"I said, you must have a deathwish." The pirate repeated, a nasty grin stretching across his face.

"Oh ok," Naruto replied, turning back to the bar and pouring himself another cup of sake.

Damn, I'm nearly out, he mused, shaking he bottle and listening to the swirl of liquid at the bottom.

"DON'T IGNORE ME." The barrel shouted, as the rest of the room seemed to echo 'he ignored him!'

Naruto sighed and looked back at the pirate who was now heaving in rage, clenching the pistol in his hand fiercely, "Look, I'm just trying to have a nice drink to soothe my hangover and you and your crew are being really noisy, so you could ya just keep it down?" He reasoned.

'Luffy' seemed lost by his response and spluttered incomprehensibly before regaining his composure, "You're dead." He ground out.

"No, I'm not." Naruto replied simply, before turning to the old man behind the bar who seemed to be expressing a strange combination of awe and fear, "Ossan, another bottle please." He said, waving the empty Sake bottle in the air.

A loud bang echoed through the bar followed by the shattering of glass. The straw-hatted barrel had shot the bottle in Naruto's hand, splaying glass all over the counter.

"Now that's just rude…" He grumbled.

"I'll give you one chance to apologise," Monkey D. Barrel warned, "Get down on your knees and I'll think about sparing your life."

Naruto blushed in spite of himself, "Oh sorry, I don't really swing that way." Pulling his hood down and scratching the back of his head, "and the floor is kinda dirty so…"

The pretty orange next to him burst out laughing and the pirate was once again rendered speechless.

Naruto sighed loudly, "Man, this is such a buzzkill." He drawled.

"F-fine, if that's the way it's gonna be." 'Luffy' ground out as he pointed his pistol at the blond.

Naruto raised an eyebrow, "You gonna shoot me?"

The pirate laughed, "No, not you." He snarled and swung his arm so that the pistol was pointing at the pretty orange, "Her."

The girl's eyes widened slightly as the man's finger began to squeeze the trigger.

"Stop." Naruto commanded simply as he unveiled his haki, and the whole room save the girl and the barkeep froze.

The fat pirate's eyes were wide and wild as he shivered, a thin veneer of sweat glistening on his dirty skin. The rest of his crew fared no better. All rooted in place unable to lift so much as a finger.

Naruto scooted off the bar stool and walked towards fake strawhat. He took a moment to size up the man before shaking his head as he plucked the pistol from the pirate's hand, glancing it over half-heartedly, "Only cowards use pistols" he murmured, mostly to himself before crushing the barrel in his hand.

Sighing, he lazily made his way across the room, turning before he reach the door, "You staying, Nami-san?"

The orange haired girl's mouth opened and closed, eyes darting between the still frozen pirates and him before she jumped off her stool and followed the blond.

Naruto smiled in spite of himself before a frown etched its way onto his brow. He needed to find a new place to drink.

* * *

Nami couldn't believe her eyes. She knew that these pirates weren't strong. They were weak rookies imitating her crew after all. But still. To freeze a whole room with just one's presence! Who was this guy? She watched wide-eyed as he took the flintlock from the fat Luffy's and looked it over. Then, shaking his head he crumpled the barrel in his bare hand, like it was nothing

This guy's a monster, she thought to herself.

"You staying, Nami-san?" She was snapped back into reality and she noticed the man was now standing in the door way, looking at her inquisitively with his deep, cerulean eyes. Hadn't they been red before? And wait, he knew who she was?

Realising she was staring, her mouth moving like a fish she hopped off the stool and followed the blond out of the bar.

"Man it's so bright outside!" He said aloud to no one in particular as he stretched his arms above his head. Standing next to him, Nami finally noticed he was quite tall, easily a head and a half taller than her. His blond hair was short and messy, proving an odd contrast to his lightly tanned skin. Three whisker marks were etched into each cheek and a magatama earing hung loosely from his ear.

"Oi Namiiiii" A very familiar voice called from down the street, breaking the girl out of her musings.

"Ussop!" She called, spotting the long nose and mass of black curly hair from a mile away as a large grin graced her lips.

"Ah it's been so long!" Ussop shouted back, waving as he approached her.

"I know, you haven't changed a bit!" She laughed back, before remembering the mysterious blond, "Oh wait, Ussop, this guy…" she began, turning only to see an empty space where the man was once standing.

"Eh, Nami? What guy?" Ussop queried, looking around the orange haired girl inquisitively.

"Oh." She paused. She didn't get to thank him, "Nevermind." She grinned back at her old friend, "So how've you been?"

* * *

Sabody Archipelago, Grove 13

"This looks like a nice quite spot." Naruto said aloud as he took in the strange, bauble topped building that sat atop a small hill. After the fuss at the last bar, he had decided to venture into one of the more empty groves in search for the perfect, anti-hangover drink.

Trekking up the small incline, the blond shrugged at the strange name of the place before continuing forward, swinging the door open when he reached it.

The first thing Naruto noticed was the lack of poignant stench, a trait he couldn't decide if he liked or not. The bar itself seemed cosy, if not more akin to a rustic café, with small curved booths and a semi-circular bar in the middle.

The only customer sat at the bar, an old man with long white hair swept back behind his ears. He turned his head as Naruto walked in, raising his glass and nodded to the blond. Returning the nod, Naruto found himself a seat at the counter and sighed, resting his head on his hand.

A door opened to the left of the counter and a woman walked in from the back and smiled at him as their eyes met, before lifting the barrier to the bar and stepping behind it.

"What can I get you?" She asked, lighting a cigarette and taking a long drag.

"Sake, please." Naruto replied and the woman smiled, mirth dancing in her eyes. He assumed politeness wasn't a common courtsey on an island inhabited by pirates.

He watched as her short black hair bobbed as she span on her heel to retrieve his order.

"Haven't seen you around here before." The bartender commented and the old man across the bar snorted lightly before taking a slow sip of his rum.

Naruto grinned, "I'm not a local." He said as she placed a pleasant looking bottle of sake and a cup on the counter.

"Tourist?" She continued and Naruto laughed heartily.

"Can't say I'm a tourist really either." He poured the sake, still smiling and took a long drink, admiring the warmth as the liquid ran down his throat.

"A pirate then?" She pressed further, resting her elbow in her hand and taking another slow drag of her cigarette.

Naruto hummed lightly, "Not a pirate either." He said and a trace of a frown flickered across the woman's face, before returning to its calm, carefree visage.

"Marine?" She asked in a clipped tone and the man in the corner's hand tightened ever so slightly around his glass.

The blond paused; his cup inches from his face and placed it back down on the counter. He looked at the woman who seemed to be studying him carefully, then to the old man who appeared to be paying rapt attention despite staring at the glass of rum in his hand.

"A Marine?" He repeated slowly, as if test the syllables on his tongue, "Nope." He grinned and let out another hearty laugh, "You guys are funny, getting all tense like that." He scratched the back of his head and noted the room's two occupants eyes meet briefly.

"Well then, customer-san," the bartender began, a faint upturn to the corner of her lips, "If you're not a tourist, a pirate or a marine, what are you?"

"Sorry! Your three guesses are up." Naruto grinned cheekily, "You can buy more guesses at 10,000 beri a pop." The old man in the corner chuckled slightly and the woman shook her head, a smile finely gracing her lips.

Naruto watched the two for a moment, still grinning before turning to the old man in the corner and eyeing him curiously "So, what's the 'Dark King' Silvers Rayleigh doing hanging out in a little bar like this?"

The man looked at Naruto for a brief moment, his face stoic before letting out a loud bark of laughter "Shakky, this man's drink is on me." He said.

"Hai hai." 'Shakky' replied, chuckling lightly herself.

"What's so funny old man?" Naruto asked, eyes darting between the two.

"Nothing, nothing." He said with a wave of his hand, "You just remind me of an apprentice of mine."

"Really?" the blond drawled in disbelief, "I bet he's an idiot isn't he?"

Once again, Rayleigh faced Naruto, this time his features touched with surprise before another chorus of loud laughter echoed throughout the bar.

"Ara ara." Shakky muttered, still chuckling lightly.

"I knew it!" Naruto near shouted as he watched the Pirate King's first mate clutch his sides in laughter, "Why do people always compare me to idiots?"

"My boy, what's your name?" Rayleigh managed, wiping a tear from his eye.

"Naruto." He replied, still frowning, "Uzumaki D. Naruto."

"It's nice to meet you, Naruto-san." The old man replied, "the name's Silvers Rayleigh and this is my wife Shakuyaku."

"Just call me Shakky, Naruto-kun." The woman smiled.

"Ehhh, you're his wife?" The blond repeated in surprise, before leaning forward across the bar, "Ne, Shakky-san, what're you doing with a beat up old man like this?" Naruto said, his voice hushed but still loud enough for Rayleigh to hear him.

"OI!" Rayleigh shouted indignantly from across the bar and Shakky laughed softly.

"We're not so dissimilar in age, him and I." She said, playing with the cigarette her hand, a coy grin across her lips.

"Really?" Naruto asked, unconvinced, "Still think you could do better." He said, leaning back.

"Oi!" Rayleigh shouted again as Shakky continued giggling to herself.

The blond took another sip of his sake and grinned, "Man this is the good stuff." He raised his cup to Rayleigh, "Thanks for the drink, old man-san."

"I take it back! The drink isn't on me!" He countered in mock anger.

Naruto shook his head and closed his eyes, "Sorry, no take backs."

"Damn brat." Rayleigh grumbled as he took a long swig of his rum, still eyeing the blond.

"Ah!" Naruto suddenly exclaimed, getting up off his stool and rolling his neck while stretching his shoulders, "Sorry, Shakky-san, Rayleigh-san. It appears I'm needed elsewhere."

The husband and wife looked at him oddly, "Trouble?" Shakky asked, curious as ever.

"Probably not." Naruto shrugged, "My useless excuse for a crew have probably just realised they left without me."

"Thought you said you weren't a pirate." Rayleigh commented with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm not." He replied with a grin, "Don't have to be a pirate to have a crew." Shakky and Rayleigh watched as he fiddled with his pockets, seemingly looking for something, "Ah here it is, looks like your apprentice has some lookalikes that are recruiting, Rayleigh-san." Naruto said laughing to himself, "Quite hilarious really."

The husband and wife looked down at the recruitment poster now placed on the bar on the bar before looking back at the blond, poorly contained surprise written across both their faces.

"Anyway, I really must be going." Naruto said, giving a quick wave. "Ja ne."

He then seemed to disappear and a red flash, leaving nothing but an empty space where he once stood.

The two sat there for a moment in silence, staring at nothing while attempting to reel in the recent events.

"Another drink?" Shakky suddenly asked, breaking the silence.

"Yeah." Rayleigh responded before laughing once more, "What an interesting fellow, that Uzumaki D. Naruto."

* * *

A ship, somewhere outside Sabody Archipelago.

"Gah, Roshi! Put out that fire already, you'll burn down the ship!" A girl shouted from atop the crow's nest.

"Sorry, Fu-kun, I must have slipped." A calm, male voice replied from the deck.

"Don't give me that shit old man, put it out!" the girl replied

"Has anyone seen my pipe?" Another voice chimed from the upper deck.

"Now's not the time Utakata!" the girl cut.

"So noisy…"

"Roshi's burning down the ship, guess he must have slipped, baka yarou, kono yarou!"

"That was a good one, B-san."

"Hn."

"I never got to try the seafood on Sabody…"

"Hn."

"Has anyone seen captain?" the girl shouted over the noise.

"Nope."

"I don't think so?"

"I saw him… yesterday?"

"Maybe?"

"He was sleeping when we left?"

"Where?"

"At the Inn."

"So we left him!?"

"…"

"…"

"Probably."

"Gah he's gonna be pissed, someone call him!"

"Ara ara,"

"Stop laughing Yugito-chan!"

"So noisy…"

"I'll call him!"

"Thanks, Utakata!"

The man in question closed his eyes for a moment in concentration before opening them with a grin, "Done!"

"I wonder if captain will bring back some seafood."

"Probably… not."

"Seriously, are you sure no one's seen my pipe?"

"Did you leave it back at Sabody?"

"…"

"Ah I left it on Sabody!"

"Baaaaaaka~."

"Shutup, marimo!"

"Utakata lost is pipe, now he's in a… in a… strife?"

"Not quite, B-san."

A sudden flash of red illuminated the ship and all eight of its occupants paused and quietened.

"You bastards!"

"Oi Fu! Captain's back!"

"I can hear that, ero-bubble!"

"Welcome, back captain-kun."

"Hn."

"You left me behind!" the new voice shouted, "Wait, why's the ship on fire! Roshi!?"

"Summimasen, I slipped."

"Yagura, put it out!"

"Did you bring back any seafood, captain?"

"What? No!"

"…"

"Utakata you do it!"

"I left my pipe on Sabody!" the man cried in response.

"You left your… Gah!" The blond rustled his hair in frustration, "That's it! Turn the ship around we're going back! And someone please put out that fire."

"Would you like some tea, captain-kun?"

"Not right now, but thanks Yugito-chan."

"I would like some tea."

"Me too!"

"Hn."

"And me!"

"So noisy…"

As the ship lazily turned to sail back to Sabody Archipelago, the blond captain smiled amidst the rabble, shouting, flames and his throbbing hangover.

It was time tailed beasts made their debut.

* * *

So, whaddya think? This was more of a trial/prologue just to put out some feelers and introduce the concept. Hopefully you should have a vague idea what/who naruto and his crew are.

Ps. do people prefer titles/mannerisms to be in English or romanized japanese e.g. Strawhat/mugiwara or (slight spoiler) my bounty name for Fu - Rakkī Sebun/lucky number seven

Anyway, if you enjoyed, then please fave, follow and review, if you didn't thanks for readin' anyway.

Cya.


	2. One and Four

Yo just a short chapter cause i had the idea fresh in my head. Thanks to those who followed and favourite and took the time to review, its much appreciated.

Enjoy.

.

* * *

It was dark and eerily quiet. No one dared speak, whimper or cry out for they knew any sound would bring about pain. They stayed like that for a while. Lingering in nothingness. A dark limbo in which one could only exist but do no more.

Eventually, the sound of opening locks echoed throughout the room followed by the grinding of metal on metal and the door opened slowly.

Beams of light cut into the darkness, illuminating dishevelled figures in rags, blank faces and empty eyes.

He could hear them speaking, but he did not listen. He felt too numb, too empty to care.

"That one," A voice called out loudly, "I want that one with the ears and tails."

Footsteps rushed forwards and he was hoisted into the air by the collar of his rags.

"A mink? No, Not… beastily enough," Another voice sighed, "Such a strange thing, are you sure this is what you want?"

"Yes!"

"Very well." The voice replied in clipped tone, "Have it branded, dressed and taken to the mansion. And do it quickly."

"Yes, sir." Whoever was holding him answered.

The next thing he knew he was in another dark room. It was hot, dark and hot. The only light came from a crackling fire, its embers lofting gently into the darkness like doomed fireflies.

He was placed on a table face up, his arms and legs fastened into shackles attached to it.

Out of the darkness, a pair mad gleaming eyes bore into him, "Don't worry, my boy, it won't hurt too much, my boy." A set of putrid yellow teeth appeared below the eyes in what he presumed was a twisted grin, "I'm sure whatever they've got planned for you, will be much, much worse, boy."

He tried to speak but his mouth was so dry the only thing that came out was a strangled breath.

"Shhh boy, don't speak." The man said as he lifted up a red hot brand and waved it lazily through the air, "we wouldn't you wasting your precious breath," he stilled and paused, his eyes sparkling in a devilish glee, "oh and before I forget, welcome to Mariejois!" he snarled, and as smouldering iron met skin, his world was engulfed in pain.

.

* * *

"Captain?"

The sky.

"Oi Naruto!"

The ocean.

"You listening? Naruto? What do you wanna do?"

The wind.

"Naruuutooooo~."

And a nagging navigator.

"Yes, Fu. I'm listening."

"You okay? You been spaced out for a while, ya know." Naruto smiled and chuckled lightly at his crewmate, who stood peering over him curiously.

"Yeah, just lost in thought is all." He replied.

"So?"

"Well I guess it's time should make our entrance." He grinned, standing up and stretching his arms above his head.

"Ooo fun~ I wanna play with that strawhat, he looks strong." Fu commented, linking her hands behind her back.

Naruto laughed as he watched the girl sway, humming to herself, her short mint green hair fluttering softly in the breeze. She wore a white, sleeveless crop top with the words 'lucky seven' on the back, a white skirt with split sides and fishnet shorts underneath.

"We're not here to fight the strawhats, Fu." He scolded gently and the girl pouted but said nothing, "Where's the rest of the crew?"

Fu shrugged, "On the ship i think, waiting for the go ahead."

"Good," Naruto nodded as he gazed back out to sea, "head back and give the others the go ahead."

"Sure thing, captain!" the girl affirmed with a mock salute, before turning on her heel to leave.

"Oh and Fu." The girl looked back and Naruto grinned a fox-like grin, "Give-em hell."

Fu nodded with a grin of her own and stepped out to the edge of the cliff. Powdered glitter began to dance around the tan teen as insect-like wings sprung from her back. With a small cheeky wave, she jumped off the cliff edge and let her newly sprouted wings carry her off through the air.

"Now then, where to start?"

.

* * *

Grove 66 – Marine headquarters

"-2nd platoon comm- officer hughes!" A broken voice buzzed from the transmitter den den mushi.

"Yes 2nd platoon, this is HQ, what's your status?" The HQ captain replied sternly.

"Strawhats-" The officer attempted to reply as cries of pain and gunfire echoed in the background, "Escaping!" there was a pause and more gunfire sounded, "unknown enemies- blocking pursuit- backup!" a final cry ripped through the transmitter before the crackling of static took over.

"Officer!? Officer!? Damn." The captain slammed down the receiver and turned to his side, his brow matted with sweat. "Call for backup, immediately!" He shouted.

Why must pirates never makes things easy?

.

* * *

Grove 13

Naruto lounged lazily on a small hill overlooking the ocean, admiring how the deep blue water shimmered and sparkled in the afternoon sun. In the distance the sound of explosions, rousing cheers, gunfire and clashing swords sounded.

"Sounds like they're having fun." Naruto commented to himself, taking a swig from his gourd before closing his eyes and drifting into a light sleep.

.

* * *

Grove 46

"It's too noisy." Gaara commented as he eyed the platoon of marines currently running towards them.

"Enemies spotted! Fire!" A marine shouted as the first line of men took aim and fired their rifles.

"Much too noisy…" The redhead repeated as he lifted his hand in front of him. In tandem a wall of sand rose from the ground and the barrage of bullets thudded into the makeshift shield.

"Sand!?"

"But that's impossible!" A chorus of shouts rang out from the platoon and the boy sighed.

"Roshi-san… remind me why we're here again?" He asked turning his head to the side.

"I believe Naruto-san said we are to 'make an entrance'." The older man replied, stroking his short red beard.

More gunshots thudded into hovering wall of sand followed by a small explosion.

Gaara seemed to consider the words his companion spoke before kissing his teeth in irritation, although the emotion did not reach his face.

In another sweeping motion, he rose his hand even further and the mass of sand lifted higher into the air revealing the hardened and shocked faces of the Marines.

"Sand shower." He intoned quietly as a torrent of projectiles fired at platoon from the floating sand. The bullets ripped through the first wave of Marines without mercy and a chorus of pained shouts rang out across the battlefield.

"Damn! He uses sand just like former shichibukai crocodile! Someone report to HQ!" A command sounded.

"Hai, captain!" Came a reply as a soldier dashed into the backlines.

"Guess it's my turn." Roshi muttered, unfolding his arms and placing them in his pockets, "Can't let you have all the fun, Gaara-kun."

He began walking forwards, eyeing the marines with practiced distaste as he did so.

"He's up to something! Fire!" A shout ordered.

Bullets rocketed at the older man older only to combust just as they were about to come into contact with his body.

"Teh, that won't work on me, damn youths." He chortled, still continuing forwards.

"It didn't work! Fire again!"

"Sorry, time to burn." Roshi grinned as he clapped his hands together, "Flower-fruit mou-!" he began before he tripped suddenly on a stray branch and landed face first in the dirt, "-ffntain."

"Ah he tripped!"

"Is he an idiot!?"

Gaara rolled his eyes and averted his eyes from his fallen crewmate. Damn old man.

"Ha! These guys ain't shit!" A particularly confident Marine roared, a wide smirk on his face.

Just as the rest of the platoon were about to cheer in agreement however, the earth under them began to shake as fissures cracked open from the splayed, prone redheaded old mad.

"Wha- watch out!"

As soon as the fissures formed, geysers of red hot lava began erupting from the below the ground. Beginning at Roshi, the pillars of molten fire advanced towards Marines. Before they could even so much as scream for help, half the platoon was engulfed in lava. All the while the ground continued to creak and shift as magma pooled out of the earth's mantle, convexing to form miniature volcano.

"… That was much too noisy, Roshi-san."

"Shumimashen, I must have slipped." The man said, still lying face down in the earth, seemingly obvious to the chaos being wrought around him.

Gaara shook his head in exasperation, to think this man was a veteran warrior.

Roshi dragged himself up into the lotus position and sighed, re-adjusting the grey tape-like armour that ran the length of his face across his nose.

"That old man can use magma like Admiral Akainu!" A marine shouted as he shakily made his way to his feet.

"I'm not old man! I'm North Roshi, the Bien'o! (handsome monkey king)" The lava user shouted back in retaliation crossing his arms indignantly.

"Stop shouting, Roshi-san," Gaara twitched in annoyance as he watched a Marine speak hurriedly into a den den mushi, "And stand up, we should finish this."

The man paused, then seemed to shift slightly before he frowned, "I appear to have thrown my back!" he announced proudly.

The sand-user sighed again, rubbing the dark bags under his eyes, "Just… don't move."

"Hai!" he couldn't even if he wanted to.

More shouts and hollers carried over the sizzling of the magma as what was left of the 2nd platoon attempted to regroup for a final assault.

"So much noise…" Gaara said quietly, his voice drowned out by the voice of many.

Closing his eyes, he focused on the earth underneath him, and began to break down what wasn't already magma, crushing it, moulding it.

"Oi the one with the weird tattoo is up to something, fire everything!"

The ground began to rumble once more as bullets and explosives were launched at the pale sand user. Each projectile however was blocked by tendrils of sand which whipped to life from the gourd on the man's hip, rendering them useless.

"Damn! We can't get it him!"

He could feel it. It was ready. The earth beneath him was alive, it was his.

"We need to get closer!"

Gaara lifted a single hand in front of him, palm facing down, eyes still closed.

"Swordsman, advance!" the surviving Marines roared as they charged, swords held high in the air, faces grit in determination

"So much noise…"

Slowly, a large shadow began to shroud the battlefield, blanketing the once grassy grove in a dark veil. The Marines stumbled to a halt, some crumbled to their knees as they gazed wide eyed and others simple gawked, incapable of speech.

"Wh-wha-"

A giant mass of sand lingered high up in the trees. Like rain from a dark cloud, grains fell from the floating dune as the sun was enveloped.

Turquoise eyes opened lazily and gazed dispassionately at the frozen Marines.

He clenched his hand.

The world fell.

"Burial."

.

* * *

Hope you enjoyed!

Review, fave, follow if you feel like it!

Cya.


	3. Five Six Seven

Yo! Back with a slightly longer chapter! Been a bit hectic atm cause ive got essays and exams and stuff but still, here ya go!

Thanks to all of you who reviewed, followed and faved. Was nice to see people guessing what they thought people's powers might or not might not be, hopefully this chapter will allow you to develop your theories a little more :) (me hopes)

Enjoy!

* * *

Grove 45 – shopping district

"Clear the way!" A Marine shouted as the 3rd platoon hustled down a busy main street, "we mustn't let the Srawhats escape!"

Nearby shop goers and store clerks turned in confusion, their faces an array of shock and building fear.

"All civilians evacuate!" the Captain ordered, his gull-embroiled cap fastened backwards, "Now!" he voice carried authority and it seemed to shock the civilians out of their stupors.

The residents of the high-street tripped and stumbled as they began running in the opposite direction, leaving empty stalls and deserted shopping bags in their wake.

At the end of the street, plumes of white mist began to envelope the food stands and market stalls.

"Men, halt!" the captain shouted, his beady eyes narrowing, "That fog can't be natural… You, you and you. Go investigate." He ordered, a bead of sweat rolling down his cheek.

The chosen Marines nodded and jogged forwards, striding into the cloud of white until their bodies couldn't be seen any longer.

A few moments went by where silence encapsulated the high-street.

"What's happening in there?" A broad faced rifleman with a long stitched scar across his face asked, his voice like gravel.

The captain cursed under his breath. They were taking too long.

A soft thud brought the Captain out of his musings. It was so quiet he almost thought he had imaged it. But it was there. Two more similar sounds then echoed throughout the road before silence fell once again.

Suddenly from out of the mist, a figure came flying and landed roughly in front of the Captain.

Private Gibbs.

Skin scorched red and blistered the private lay unmoving, eyes closed. A strangled moan then escaped the young man's lips and his face scrunched in pain. He was alive, albeit barely.

Without warning, two other figures landed just in front of Gibbs, both in the same state as he was.

Private Vik and 2nd private Momo.

Wide eyes stared at the prone forms of their comrades and the Captain's face scrunched in anger, "Get these three out of here now!" He shouted facing his men, while sweeping his arm to the side, "Be on your guard, we're dealing with a devil fruit user!"

"Sir! Look!"

The captain turned his back slowly as a large shadow appeared amidst the billowing mist.

"Riflemen!" He shouted and a line of rifle-baring Marines lined up and took aim.

The white fog seemed to twist and contort around the figure as it prowled forwards.

"He's huge!" A Marine shouted as the shadow finely broke the wall of mist and stepped out into the clear air.

The man in question stood towering over the platoon, easily surpassing 8 feet. He was dressed in a dark green, black trimmed samue with matching full length pants. The ringed chains of a blood red kusari could be seen under his clothes which extended to his neck to form linen a mask covering the bottom half of his face. A red straw kasa sat atop his head which had herbs and spices dangling from string all the way round and was tipped upwards, revealing his narrowed muddy brown eyes which seemed to bore into them.

"Fire!" The captain near screamed, and the riflemen obliged as a barrage of metal rocketed towards the man.

Each bullet however passed through him, creating small, smoke-like holes in his body which twisted and churned before reforming again.

"Shit a logia type!"

"Are you the captain?" the large man asked staring at the Marine with the backwards cap, his voice surprisingly soft.

"I'm Captain Dacey of the Sabaody Archipelago 3rd platoon." He nodded hesitantly in response, "Who are you?"

"Han."

The Captain's mind raced. He'd never heard of a Logia user called Han before.

"What pirate crew are you from?" he probed, attempting to gather more information.

"I am no pirate." Han replied calmly.

"Then let us pass! You are obstructing justice!" Dacey shouted back, his hand gripping the scimitar at his hip.

"I'm afraid, our justice is not the same as yours, Dacey-san."

The captain cursed under his breath, this man could not be reasoned with, he could see it in his eyes, "Then you are under arrest." He ground out, "Submit or you will be taken by force."

"You speak with confidence, but your eyes betray you." Han said as he lowered himself slightly into a stern fighting stance, "I do not like confrontation, so I will try to make this quick." His head lowered slightly and his kasa obscured his eyes.

"Don't mock us!" Came a shout from the platoon.

"There's only one of you and a whole platoon of us, don't get cocky!"

 _No_. The captain thought to himself. This man could easily take on a whole platoon. He'd felt this kind of power before. It likened to a vice-admiral, at the least.

"Unrivalled strength." Han spoke, his voice quiet and firm as steam began to pour from his body and waft into the air.

The whole platoon tensed.

Then, he was gone, leaving behind a billowing plume of white smoke.

The Captain's eyes darted in a desperate attempt to find the man but to no avail.

He blinked.

In that split second, Han had appeared directly in front of Dacey, is first reared back and poised to strike.

His eyes opened and shortly after widened dramatically. Teeth grit in anticipation for pain as the hulking figure's fist shot towards his stomach .

Tap.

He blinked again. He'd felt a small touch on his abdomen, but no pain. Dacey looked down and saw the man's gloved fist touching his stomach, the red straw kasa with its strange dangling herbs obscuring the devil fruit user's face.

"Wh-wha?"

"Permeate."

A blast sounded as blood red steam exploded from the back of the Captain's body, enveloping the marines behind him completely. The man himself was frozen, eyes frantic in pained confusion.

A choked gargle sounded from his mouth before he crumpled forwards onto Han's arm and then slid down onto the wet ground.

The red steam had begun to settle, lining the Marines' faces and clothes with a thin red veneer. Not a word was spoken as wide, panicked eyes watched Han slowly straighten himself to full height.

"Run."

They paused and pairs of eyes met in silent conversation.

They ran.

* * *

High above in the treeline, a set of orange eyes watched on in an estranged fascination.

"Han-tin really doesn't know how to hold back, does he?"

She watched as the man in question lifted his hand and clenched tightly it in front of him, his head dipped in quiet mourning.

A soft sigh escaped her lips as an overwhelming sense of sorrow washed over her. Life was hard for beasts among men.

* * *

"Gah, I can't believe the bar was holding onto to it in lost and found, luckyy~." Utakata chimed as he held his prized bamboo pipe in the air.

He wore an aqua blue kimono top, with a darker blue trim and matching trousers, an orange obi tied around his waist and a pair of geta on his feet. His dark brown hair was tied back into a loose ponytail and his eyes were a pale golden brown. A bamboo stem container with a corked top was tucked into the inside of his robes.

The man was so engrossed in his celebration he almost failed to notice the horde of Marines running his way in their signature blue and white.

"Oi Marine-san, where ya running to?" He asked the one who he assumed was the leader.

"The Strawhats! They're back!" He shouted frantically as Utakata strolled in front of the platoon absentmindedly playing with his pipe, a coy grin on his lips.

"The strawhats, aye?" The man sighed, "Don't suppose you could wait here till they've left he island, could you?" He asked.

"W-what?" The Marine's mouth opened slightly before snapping shut as shouts came from his men behind him, "Don't be preposterous, they are dangerous criminals!"

Utakata sighed again, "Well it that case, care for a little show, baldy?"

The captain's face reddened as his hand shot to the top of his head where the smallest patch of hair stood proudly surrounded by shiny bare skin, "B-b-baldy? I'm not bald!"

"You see, one thing people often underappreciate," Utakata began, oblivious to the man's anger, "Is a good bubble bath." He continued as he eyed his pipe knowingly, "and more specifically, the bubbles" He then took a short breath and blew his pipe causing a small bubble to form on the other side. The translucent sphere wobbled for a moment before it plopped off from the end of the tube and floated carelessly into the air.

"So lame…" A Marine next to the captain sweat-dropped.

"Bubbles aren't lame!" Utakata shouted back, before snapping back into his calm, carefree visage, "Anyway, what a lot of people don't know is that bubbles can be use it lots of different ways, for instance, you ca-."

"Enough!" The Captain ordered, his face now free of its red hue, "Get out of the way, or you'll regret it."

"I'll regret it huh…" the man responded, seemingly deep in thought, "Ok." He then said, before tilting his head innocently, "But tell me, what _do_ you guys think of bubbles?" He asked his voice serious and longing.

"Lame."

"Meh."

"So not cool."

"What even are bubbles?"

"I know right?"

Laughter rippled through the crowd and a vein throbbed on Utakata's forehead.

"I kinda like them…"

"They're for children and pansies!"

Eventually, the comments died and a silence fell on the group.

The young bubble-enthusiast lifted his dipped head and smiled. A shiver went down every spine in the platoon. Smile was a generous term for whatever had etched its way across the man's face. His mouth was wide and teeth clenched, his eyes narrowed and brow furrowed. Veins pulsated on his forehead.

"That's fine." He ground out, teeth grating against each other, "I'm not even mad."

 _He's so mad!_ Thought every Marine there.

After a tense moment Utakata finally sighed as he regained his composure. He tutted and through his head to the side while kicking a path of dirt on the ground, grumbling to himself.

"We answered your question, now move or we'll make you move." The Captain ordered once more.

He ignored him, instead he brought his pipe to his lips and paused, "Bubble time." He said before taking a deep breath and blowing.

The first bubble came out slowly. It started small however quickly grew to a size where it could fully encase a human. Subsequently, more bubbles of a similar size began firing out of the pipe in rapid succession.

"Bubble bath." Utakata stated as he unfolded a fan from the inside of his sleeve and waved in a single sweeping gesture.

A gust of wind billowed and the bubbles were sent flying towards the Marines, who were still stuck staring at the indescribably strange attack they were facing.

The swarm of soapy spheres flooded the ranks and loitered innocently among the men.

A particularly curious Marines poked a bubble near her gently with the end of her rifle, "What can they do? They're just bubbles." She grumbled, giving it a slightly harder prod causing it to pop, "Oh! It po-"

An explosion ripped through the crowd sending bodies flying.

"Minefield." Utakata grinned.

"Don't pop them! They explo-" the captain warned, but it came too late. The blast had set off a chain reaction causing nearby bubbles to explode and soon the platoon was self-destructing.

Explosions tore through the street sending small plumes of black smoke into the air which smelt oddly like soap.

The 'fight' didn't last long. The blasts became more infrequent and then began to settle revealing the remains of a once grassy cobbled street which was now charred and littered with bodies.

"I'm surprised you can stand, Captain-san." Utakata commented with a raised eyebrow as he watched the near-bald Marine pull himself to his feet. The man's clothes were covered in soot and deep gash could be seen on his arm where the sleeve hard been torn.

"You bastard." He managed.

He said nothing, and watched as the man struggled to aim his pistol in Utakata's direction.

"Surrender."

The man cocked the flintlock and took a deep shaky breath.

Utakata sighed.

He fired.

"Why must all Marines be hard-headed?" the Captain's eyes widened as he stared at the empty space in front of him, before turning at the sound of the voice behind him.

He made a strangled gasp and attempted to swivel on his heel.

"Sh, sleep now." Utakata said, a touch of sadness in his voice

He tapped the end of his pipe against the man's head, his pale golden eyes staring into the Marine's own dirty brown.

"Stupor."

* * *

Grove 66 – Marine HQ

"Damn it." Commodore Layley Go cursed under his breath as he slammed down the receiver to the den den mushi, "We've just lost contact with the 4th platoon, as well as the 2nd and 3rd."

Things were not looking good. It was supposed to be a simple operation. 1st platoon led by Captain Sentomaru armed with PX-5 and PX-7 was to apprehend the Strawhat pirates, with a focus on Monkey D. Luffy. So far he had not heard back from them but presumed they were still engaged in combat. Accordingly, platoons two to six were to provide support where ever necessary, but already three had been out of communication.

His eyes darted to the den den Mushi and he clenched his fist around the arm of his chair. Asking for further assistance would suggest he incompetent, however not asking for help would be forfeiting justice for his own pride.

Layley tapped his finger against the table in thought before steeling his resolve.

"Lieutenant!"

"Yes Commodore Layley," a voice replied almost instantly as a figure appeared in the doorway.

"Contact main line HQ, ask for further back up, code amber." He ordered.

"Yes sir." the lieutenant saluted before dashing away.

Layley sighed, he hoped he wouldn't regret this.

"Commodore Layley sir!" A new voice greeted, "We've received images of the criminals who took out the 2nd and 3rd platoons, Sir!" The Marine stepped forwards and handed his superior a small stack of photographs.

Layley took them and leant back in his chair, "We're still waiting on information on who assaulted the 4th platoon, Sir." The younger man said and he waved him away with his hand.

The first picture showed two men. On left stood a younger looking, pale skinned redhead with the kanji for love tattooed in red on the right side of his forehead. He wore a black shirt with the words 'Not a Raccoon' on the front, dark red trousers and had a small gourd strapped to his hip, partially covered by a sandy brown sash. His arms were crossed and his face stoic.

On the right sat an older man in the lotus position with his arms crossed, a stubborn expression across his visage. He too had crimson hair which was tied in a high bun and a full beard graced the lower portion of his face. He wore a pale red battle kimono with some form of mesh shirt underneath and a pair of strange, ankle length sandals on his feet. An equally odd grey, metal strip of plating armour ran the length across his face over his nose.

The next few images showed close ups of the aforementioned duo, with one depicting the older man mid fall, his face oddly stoic for someone about to land face first.

The last photograph however sent a shiver up the Commodore's spine. It was of a large man, easily taller than himself wearing a simple samue and a kasa. His hand was clenched into a fist and on the floor lay the crumpled body of Captain Dacey, a hole in the back of the Marines clothes showing a bloody red patch. The whole picture had an unmistakable red hue which if one looked close enough, looked to be like steam.

Leyley frowned.

The man's face was obscured by his kasa and the bottom half by a mask that seemed to extend from his under amour.

"Second Lieutenant!" He shouted.

"Yes, Sir?"

"I want these sent to main-line HQ immediately for bounty assignment." He ordered and the man saluted before striding away.

He looked back at the picture before him and sighed.

More enemies to add to the books.

* * *

Fu had always been light on her feet. She had a loud and at times childish personality, however could be surprisingly quiet when she wanted to. Not quite as quiet as her crewmate Yugito, but close enough.

When she was younger adults would often ignore her. At first she believed it was because she was hated, scorned, despised but that didn't always sit right. At least with hate she would receive some kind of acknowledgement, some recognition. But no, she got nothing. She remembered once convincing herself she was invisible, that she wasn't being ignored but rather people just couldn't see her. She wasn't so far from the truth.

With time, she grew used to her somewhat lacking presence, and in compensation developed a personality that contrasted it so greatly Gaara had once likened her to an invisible explosion.

She had rather liked that analogy.

As such, sneaking into the Marine base had been surprisingly easy for the late teen. She had waltzed past the guards at the front gate, lulling them into fantasia and hummed a gentle tune as she did so.

Inside it had been eerily empty. Dim lights hung from the ceilings of long curved corridors following the building's domed cylindrical shape.

The sound of footsteps clapping against the concrete floor echoed down the corridor and Fu paused at a corner, watching as a young Marine dressed in standard gear ran past with a stack of paper in his hands.

With single eyebrow raised, she turned down the corridor the man had come from stopped at a door left half ajar. It was dark but the flickering of monitors painted the walls in dulls tones and the buzzing of static crackled softly.

Leaving the room for now, she continued along the corridor. Occasionally, a Marine or office dweller would come her way and the girl would wave hello in greeting.

Each and every one walked by her without so much of glance, just a slight glistening shimmer in their periphery.

Fu continued on, wandering the halls without explicit direction, still a gentle skip in her step as her orange eyes darted around the sparsely decorated base.

Catching herself mid step, she paused at a locked door with the words 'File Storage – classified personnel only' written in block white letters on the front. Absentmindedly, she noticed her surrounding had become colder, more clinical almost.

Shrugging to herself, the mint-haired girl grinned and spun on her heel to face the door, hands linked behind her back. Bending forwards she eyed the lock mechanism carefully, her face expressing an almost childlike curiosity.

"Hmm I wish Yugito-chan was here." She mumbled under her breath.

The door itself was layered and reinforced with steel and the lock seemed complex.

"Oh well!" Fu hummed as she placed her hand flat onto the locking mechanism.

After a short moment she pulled her hand back and a few strands of glittering pale dust seemed to waft upwards from the door's lock.

She giggled to herself and skipped a few steps backwards down the hall, the strands of dust following her hand like ethereal tendrils.

"Let's see if this works." Fu grinned, a slight crazed glint in her eye as she poised her hand to click her fingers, "Boom."

* * *

Leyley was launched out of his chair as an explosion rattled the control room.

Eyes wide, the commodore's blurred and confused gaze took in the bland ceiling, now crumbling as pieces of debris rained down in a dusty shower. He blinked slowly as the alarm blared, red flashing lights intermittently plunging the room into darkness before setting it afire again in an ominous glow. Placing a hand on the desk, he shakily pulled himself to his feet, inwardly cursing at the sight of his spilt afternoon coffee that now seeped into the pictures laid on the desktop.

"Sir, are you okay?" A voice came from the now wide open door and his blearily eyes blinked at the figure addressing him.

Lieutenant Miles looked somewhat worse for wear. He had a small gash on the side of his head and his seemed to be cradling his left arm as he leant haphazardly on the doorframe, his black hair matted with sweat and grit.

"Yes I'm fine." Leyley managed through ground teeth as he finally straightened himself, his ears still ringing painfully, "What happened?" He asked, straightening his cap.

"I'm not sure sir, it seems there's been an explosion in the west wing." The Lieutenant managed, tentatively looking to his side down the corridor.

"The west wing?" The commodore echoed in rhetoric. His head was now throbbing and his damaged eardrums did naught to help, "Shit. The file room."

He staggered forwards to the doorway, slipping passed the lieutenant who groaned lightly as he twisted to face his superior.

Gathering himself, Leyley faced the corridor, "Go get some medical attention, you're no use in that state." He called over his shoulder.

The lieutenant nodded and slid off the doorway, stumbling off in the opposite direction.

Leyley broke into a jog as he made his way to the west wing, noting the various damages to the structure. Cracks had formed in along the walls and ceilings like splintered webs. Strangely, it didn't seem as though the damage had come from a specific focal point, as it would with a normal explosion. It was almost like there had been an earthquake which had shaken the very foundations of the building rather than an explosive blast.

Along the way, the Commodore encountered several Marines, all looking slightly shaken and beckoned them to join him.

Now a group of ten, they navigated their way through the building before finally entering the west wing.

Immediately Leyley noticed that the damage here was more extensive. Large chunks of ceiling were scattered across the floor and the webbed ravines in the walls were deeper and more defined.

Eventually, the small group turned a corner and came across a strange sight.

Two massive holes were carved into either side of the corridor, one on the left where the door to the file storage presumably used to be and the other directly opposite, leading to a separate room. Leyley stepped forwards carefully, craning his head to look into the file room.

Nothing. Just rows of shelves, cabinets and scattered debris.

A groan sounded from behind him and he turned slowly.

Protruding from a small mound of rubble two tanned sandal wearing legs stuck up in the air, bent at the knee.

"Is… Are they alive?" a Marine asked, taking a tentative step forwards.

After a few tense moments, pieces of debris began to shift and tumble down the small mole hill. Toes wriggled and the groaning grew loader.

Suddenly a loud but muffled cry came from the mound before a torso flung itself upright sending pieces of rumble flying.

Leyley raised an eyebrow as he laid eyes on the strange dishevelled figure. Her hair, once mint-green resembled a dirty bush littered with shrapnel and her face was covered in a fine veneer of soot as though she had fallen down a chimney. The girl's lips were thinned somewhat and her brow seemed permanently set in surprise. Orange eyes blinked owlishly at the Commodore before drifting to the rest of the group.

"Gah I messed up!" She suddenly shouted as she ruffled her hair with both hands, a small cloud of dust pluming from her head.

"Who are you?" Leyley asked, his brow now furrowed as he watched the charred girl.

"Huh?" She paused, "Hey who're you supposed to be?" Her head tilted slightly in a cute manner as her eyes locked with his.

The commodore frowned as he straightened himself and brushed a strand of dark brown hair behind his ear, "Commodore Crooks Leyley. Now who are you?"

The girl pointed to herself, "Me?" She asked as something akin to surprise settled on her feature and the Leyley nodded stiffly, his ire growing, "I'm Fu!"

Fu grinned and shook the debris of her legs before springing to her feet. She then brushed down her body; making her presumably once white crop top and matching skirt seem less grey.

"Was this you?" He asked, gesturing loosely to the hole in the wall while eyeing the girl carefully.

"Yep!" She laughed sheepishly, "I just wanted to get into the room though! I didn't mean to ruin your base, promise!" She said earnestly and a couple of the Marines swooned at her innocent tone.

Leyley however was not one of those Marines.

"Cut the bullshit!" He barked, "You're under arrest for trespassing on Marine property, destruction of private property and theft of classified documents." His tone was now composed and did well to hide his anger.

"What!? That's not fair! I haven't even taken anything yet!" Fu replied as she cocked a hip gently.

"Yet?" Leyley echoed, he could feel his temper boiling and the Marines around him edged away. He took a single step forwards and placed a hand on his sword.

"Oi-oi, Commodore Leyley-sama there's no need for that." A particularly confident young soldier chimed in as he approached the girl, "Say, onee-chan, why don't you just come with us, ok?"

"Huh?" Fu turned on the man, a strange glint in her eye that he could not place. "What did you just call me?" She asked.

He stuttered slightly, seemingly flustered, "Um, o-onee-chan?"

"Onee-chan, huh?" the mint-haired girl echoed, "How old do you think I am?" She asked with what seemed like genuine curiosity dancing in her turmeric eyes.

The Marine looked at his comrades who all shrugged dismissively. Leyley's face was beginning to harbour a red hue but his expression remained stoic.

"Eh, well… 14?" Fu's gaze darkened, "Wait, um 15?" He decided, his expression filled with a pleading earnest.

"15!?" The girl exploded. Her left hand came up to massage her brow while her right, now shimmering fist shot out and hit the young Marine square on the nose sending him flying backwards. She lowered her hand and turned her gaze angrily to the now prone man,"I'm 19, baaaaka~."

The crowd stood stunned as they watched the man writhe on the floor further down the corridor before turning their wide gaze back to Fu.

"Enough!" Leyley finely broke, "Now submit!" He ordered.

"No!" came Fu's indignant reply as she crossed her arms over her modest breast.

"Submit!"

"You submit!"

"You insolent whelp." Crooks muttered under his breath as he finally drew his sword, a mean looking machete with a half circle dent at the bottom.

Fu eyed the weapon and glanced to the side as the rest of the Marines slowly drew their weapons also, their faces still revealing their trepidation.

"Sorry, I don't have time for this." She grumbled, "I would have liked to stay and play with you boys but… Captain's orders."

"You're not going anywhere!" Layley shouted as he lunged towards the girl, his body low and machete poised to his side.

Fu simply waved her hand in front of her and a stream of glistening dust washed out from her palm forming a wall between the captain and her.

"Scale powder." She said, her voice carefree.

"What's that? Glitter?" A Marine shouted as he faltered mid step.

The shield of shimmering powder grew and formed a curved wall surrounding the girl and facing the crowd. Though the dust was predominantly white, it was freckled with notes of emerald green, sapphire and ruby. Eyes glazed over as they watched as the particles seemed to churn like currents through an ocean or the shifting of desert sands.

"Don't stop you idiots, it's just shiny powder!" Layley shouted, a bead of sweat rolling down his cheek and his hair now stuck to the side of his face.

Reinforcing his sword with Haki, he charged forwards once more, raising his arm to cut through the mesmerising shield.

Through the lazy waves of glistening dust he caught a glimpse of a taunting grin.

"A thousand lamellar blades." The mouth spoke, and suddenly the powder was upon them.

Layley blinked as his vision was enveloped in a barrage of colours. He felt his body itch. He couldn't move. He opened his mouth to speak but no sound came out and the itching then ascending into pain. It felt like he every single square centimetre of his body was being pierced by miniscule needles.

Oddly, it was not overwhelmingly painful. It was something akin to the stinging sensation one feels when they go from being very cold to very warm in a short period of time. It was unpleasant, yes. But not unbearable.

Still frozen in place, he felt his body begin to numb and his vision blur.

The last sight he saw before darkness overcame him was a set of white shining teeth and soft glistening of two, beautiful orange eyes.

* * *

Yo, hope you enjoyed the chapter. Was thinking of doing a summary of all the characters and their stats (e.g. nickname, bounty, abilities, affiliation etc.), only with stuff that has been revealed so far though. Would this be something you guys would be interested in? Let me now!

As for pairings, i've had some thoughts however with fanfics im not really a fan (lol) of guy meets one girl, then thats the pairing for the whole pic, so their maybe me multiple pairings, in a non overlapping, anti-harem way.

Hopefully the next chapter will be out soon, who knows. Fave, follow and review if you like and until then, cya.


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